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Iraqi civilians 'shot by ISIL' while fleeing Fallujah

Fighters battling to retake Fallujah from ISIL say they have secured its southern edge and have almost encircled it.

06 Jun 2016 18:25 GMT

Iraqi displaced families wait to cross the Euphrates River after their arrival in Amiriyat Al Fallujah town [Awras Aamer/EPA]

Caught in the crossfire

Reports of fleeing Iraqi civilians targeted and shot at by ISIL

Civilians desperate to leave the city, aid groups say

Sources say Iranian-backed militias are abusing men fleeing the fighting

Iraqi civilians fleeing the city of Fallujah have been shot at by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters who are holed up in the besieged city, an international aid group told Al Jazeera.

Nasr Muflahi, country director of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), confirmed several such incidents based on testimonies from civilians who were directly targeted by ISIL gunmen on Sunday.

Civilians who manage to leave the central city are received in camps set up by the government and the UN, where they get basic medical care, Muflahi said.

Fighters battling to retake Fallujah from ISIL say they have secured its southern edge and have almost completely encircled the city.

A leader of the Iran-backed Shia coalition taking part in the offensive said on Sunday the only side of Fallujah that remained to be secured by pro-Baghdad forces was part of the western bank of the Euphrates.